Supermassive Games is a British video game developer based in Guildford, Surrey. The company was co-founded by brothers Pete and Joe Samuels in 2008; Pete served as chief executive officer, while Joe was the studio's commercial director. The brothers both stepped down from their roles in 2024. [1] Until 2018 Supermassive worked almost exclusively with PlayStation, first working on downloadable content for Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet . [2] The studio published their first game, Big Match Striker, in September 2010. It was free-to-play and put players head-to-head in a combination of football management strategy and trivia. [3] [4] Supermassive worked on multiple games that utilised the PlayStation Move motion controller including Start the Party! and Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves , both of which were released in 2010. [2] [5] In 2012, the studio partnered with the BBC and released Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock . It was intended to be the first game of a trilogy, but it was poorly received. The BBC announced the decision to cancel the other two games the following year. However, another partnership game with the BBC, Wonderbook: Walking with Dinosaurs , was released in 2013. [6]
In 2015, the studio released their breakout title, Until Dawn , which won the BAFTA Games Award for Original Property in 2016. [7] [8] [9] The game was initially envisioned as a PlayStation Move title, but all motion controls were dropped when it was retooled into a PlayStation 4 game. [10] Until Dawn is a teen survival horror game inspired by slasher films, and it became an unexpected success for Sony. [7] [11] [12] With the success of Until Dawn, the studio continued to expand the universe, releasing two spin-off titles; Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (2016) and The Inpatient (2018), for PlayStation VR, Sony's virtual reality headset. [13] [14] In January 2024, a film adaptation of Until Dawn was announced, as well as a remake of the game for PlayStation 5 and Windows, planned for release later in the year. [8] [15] [16] Although Supermassive is not developing the remake, the game is being made by Ballistic Moon, which has multiple former Supermassive leads on the team. [16] [17] The studio also released the critically panned Bravo Team (2018) for PS VR. Supermassive initially wanted it to be "the game which defines shooters on VR", but it faced various challenges throughout its development cycle. [18] In December 2018, Supermassive published Shattered State. The game was developed in partnership with Google and released exclusively for Google Daydream. [19] [20]
At Gamescom in 2018, Supermassive announced that they were returning to the horror genre, partnering with publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment to create an anthology series called The Dark Pictures Anthology . [21] [22] Supermassive originally planned to release a new entry in the series every six months. [23] The studio plans to release eight games in the anthology, although more could be added. [23] [24] The first game, Man of Medan , was released in August 2019, [25] followed by Little Hope in October 2020, [26] House of Ashes in October 2021, [27] and The Devil in Me in November 2022, [28] which concluded the anthology's first season. [29] After many years of mostly PlayStation exclusivity, the anthology was Supermassive's first venture into doing multi-platform releases. Initially, the games were released on PS4, Xbox One, and Windows. [21] Starting with House of Ashes, the games were also released for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. [27] However, in September 2022 Supermassive released PS5 and Series X/S versions of Man of Medan and Little Hope. [30] Both games also received Nintendo Switch versions in 2023. [31] [32] A spin-off of the anthology, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR , was released in March 2023 for the PlayStation VR2 as a spiritual successor of Rush of Blood. [33] Directive 8020 , [34] the fifth game in the series, and the first game of the second season, is expected to be released in 2025. [35]
Supermassive released the standalone game The Quarry in 2022. The game is inspired by slasher and monster films, and is a spiritual successor to Until Dawn. [36] [37] [38] In August 2023, Little Nightmares III was announced for a 2024 release, but later delayed to 2025. [39] [40] The Casting of Frank Stone , a game set in the Dead by Daylight universe, was revealed at the Game Awards 2023 with a 2024 release window. [41] The game was released on September 3, 2024. [42]
Supermassive Games has worked on over 20 games since 2008, and has multiple games in development.
Onimusha is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with supernatural elements. Most of the games are of the action-adventure genre, a combination of third-person hack-and-slash combat and puzzle elements. The player protagonist wields the power of the Oni, enabling them to fight the Genma, the main enemy in the series. As of June 2024, the series has sold a total of 8.7 million copies worldwide, making it Capcom's tenth best-selling franchise, behind Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, Dragon's Dogma, Ace Attorney, and Marvel vs. Capcom.
Ready At Dawn Studios LLC (RAD) was an American video game developer located in Irvine, California, and is composed of former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment. Formed in 2003, the company was closely affiliated with Sony Computer Entertainment, developing games in the God of War series and Daxter. Ready At Dawn had a satellite campus in Portland, Oregon, to assist with future PC and console game development, but closed the office in 2022 as they adapted a hybrid work model. The studio was acquired by Oculus Studios as of June 2020. On August 7, 2024, Ready at Dawn was closed by Reality Labs.
Until Dawn is a 2015 interactive drama horror game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on Blackwood Mountain when their lives are threatened. The game features a butterfly effect system in which players must make choices that may change the story. All playable characters can survive or die, depending on the choices made. Players explore the environment from a third-person perspective and find clues that may help solve the mystery.
Supermassive Games Limited is a British video game developer based in Guildford, Surrey. The studio is best known for developing horror games such as Until Dawn for Sony Interactive Entertainment, The Dark Pictures Anthology for Bandai Namco Entertainment, The Quarry for 2K Games, and The Casting of Frank Stone for Behaviour Interactive.
Dead by Daylight is an online asymmetric multiplayer survival horror video game developed and published by Canadian studio Behaviour Interactive. It is a one-versus-four game in which one player takes on the role of a Killer and the other four play as Survivors; the Killer must hunt and impale each Survivor on sacrificial hooks to appease a malevolent force known as the Entity, while the Survivors have to avoid being caught and power up the exit gates by working together to fix five generators.
Decima is a proprietary game engine made by Guerrilla Games and released in November 2013, that includes tools and features like artificial intelligence and game physics. It is compatible with 4K resolution and high-dynamic-range imaging, used for games on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Xbox Series X/S.
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a rail shooter developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, released on 13 October 2016 worldwide for PlayStation VR headset on PlayStation 4. It is a direct spin-off from Until Dawn and features the player riding a horror-themed roller coaster while shooting at inanimate objects and live enemies.
The Inpatient is a psychological horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4 and its virtual reality headset PlayStation VR. The game was released in January 2018.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted is a 2019 virtual reality (VR) survival horror game developed by Steel Wool Studios and Scott Cawthon. It is an anthology of minigames based on the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise; the player must complete tasks without being jumpscared by homicidal animatronic characters. These minigames include VR adaptations of the main Five Nights at Freddy's games, from the original game to Sister Location, and several new experiences. Hidden inside the levels are coins that unlock collectible objects and cassette tapes that provide insight into a metafictional narrative.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is a 2019 interactive drama and survival horror video game with paranormal horror elements developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the first game of the first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology, a series of standalone horror video games. Man of Medan features a cast of five playable protagonists and a multilinear narrative influenced by player choice. The game's decision-making scenes, of which there are several, can significantly alter the trajectory of the plot and change the relationships between the main characters. Due to these choices, any of the five protagonists can die permanently.
PlayStation Productions, LLC is an American production company owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). The company adapts SIE's video game franchises into films and television shows. Its adaptations so far include the films Uncharted (2022) and Gran Turismo (2023) and television series The Last of Us (2023–present) and Twisted Metal (2023–present).
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is a 2020 video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the second game of the first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology. Little Hope serves as the sequel to the anthology's season premiere, Man of Medan. Will Poulter stars as the game's leading actor and plays the role of one of the protagonists, named Andrew. Set in the fictional eponymous town, located in Massachusetts, the game follows four college students chaperoned by their professor. After their bus crashes by the area, the group finds themselves trapped within Little Hope by an impenetrable fog. As they explore the deserted town, the characters are pursued by demons whose appearances are reminiscent of the ways in which the townspeople of Little Hope's colonial era died.
The Dark Pictures Anthology is an anthology series of interactive drama and survival horror video games developed and published by Supermassive Games. The anthology is planned to consist of eight games, with each game inspired by a different horror genre. Each game features five main characters whose survival depends on the choices made by the player. While each character only appears in one game, face models are often reused in other games, except those of the leading actors. The games use a third-person perspective and the ability to choose from various dialogue options and courses of action.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a 2021 interactive drama and survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the third game of the first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology. The game features a multilinear plot in which decisions can significantly alter the trajectory of the story and change the relationships between the five playable protagonists; some lead to their permanent deaths. House of Ashes is set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and follows five characters—four Americans working for the US Armed Forces and one Iraqi Republican Guard—who must escape from an underground Akkadian temple and survive the vampiric creatures that infest the area. Ashley Tisdale, who plays CIA operative Rachel King, was marketed as the game's leading actress. Jason Graves, a long-time collaborator with Supermassive for the series, composed the soundtrack during COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is a 2022 interactive drama and survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the fourth game of the first season, and the season finale of The Dark Pictures Anthology. A game with a multilinear plot, decisions can significantly alter the trajectory of the story and change the relationships between the five playable protagonists; some lead to their permanent deaths. The Devil in Me follows five members of a documentary film crew who are invited to a replica of H. H. Holmes' hotel on an island in Lake Michigan called Hunter's Island to film an episode of their series. It's not long before they discover their lives are at risk due to traps placed throughout the hotel and they must escape the island before Granthem Du'Met kills them. Jessie Buckley, who plays investigative journalist and the host of the documentary film show, Kate Wilder, was marketed as the game's leading actress. Jason Graves, a long-time collaborator with Supermassive for the series, returned to compose the soundtrack.
Bravo Team is a 2018 virtual reality first-person shooter video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4's virtual reality headset PlayStation VR.
The Quarry is a 2022 interactive drama horror game developed by Supermassive Games and published by 2K. Players assume control of nine teenage counselors who must survive their last night at Hackett's Quarry summer camp amongst supernatural creatures and violent locals. Players make many choices throughout the game which may significantly affect character development, relationships, the story's plot, and its ending. All nine playable characters may survive or die, depending on the player's decisions.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a rail shooter video game developed and published by Supermassive Games for the PlayStation VR2. It was released on 16 March 2023. It is a spin-off of The Dark Pictures Anthology and features the player riding a horror-themed roller coaster.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 is an upcoming interactive drama and survival horror video game developed and published by Supermassive Games. It is the first game of the second season, and the fifth game overall in The Dark Pictures Anthology. Continuing the series' premise, the game features a cast of five playable protagonists and a multilinear narrative influenced by player choices. Its decision-making scenes can significantly alter the trajectory of the plot and change the relationships between the main characters; some can lead to the permanent death of the protagonists. In Directive 8020, a colony ship called Cassiopeia crash lands on Tau Ceti f, a planet that is 12 light-years from Earth. Lashana Lynch, who plays astronaut and pilot of the Cassiopeia, Brianna Young, is being marketed as the game's leading actress. Directive 8020 will be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2025.